Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 7, was an amazing device, however, it had a major safety issue with the battery that ultimately caused it to be discontinued. While this obviously caused Samsung to take a financial hit, it was damaging to their image as well, causing consumers to lose confidence in them as a brand. Looking ahead to their next major device launch, to regain the interest of consumers, they must not only demonstrate that they have improved their quality control regarding safety but also release a device that is absolutely stellar. According to Business Korea, they may have a secret weapon in store – Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Last month, Google unveiled the Pixel and Pixel XL, both with their new AI assistant software called Google Assistant. Unlike most voice assistant services on current smartphones, Google Assistant uses AI to learn about the user to more effectively respond to their questions and requests. This will ideally provide a more thorough and intuitive experience. With a company as influential as Google releasing an AI-based assistant, it’s no surprise that other companies are looking toward building similar offerings. Samsung already has a voice assistant, called S Voice, but using AI could improve the experience significantly. Samsung is reportedly expected to include its first AI-based assistant software in the upcoming flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, which will likely be launched in the early part of next year. At the time of this writing, there are a few vague rumors about some of the other features and functionality the Galaxy S8 may include, but a lack of concrete information that can be officially confirmed. More info about the device should start to show up in the coming months, as its expected launch approaches.
VIV Labs, a company founded by three of the developers of Apple’s voice assistant Siri, was recently acquired by Samsung, which supports the idea that the company plans further develop their voice assistant technology. If the AI-based assistant in the S8 is phenomenal, this could serve as a major selling point for the device, and could potentially help Samsung win back many of the consumers they lost earlier this year due to the issues with the Galaxy Note 7.